A JOURNEY INTO

THE WORLD OF

PRINTING

By:- Ashish kumar gupta

Textile printing is an ancient art form found on cloth in Egyptian tombs dating to about 5000B.C. Greek fabrics dating from the 4th century B.C. have also been found. Block prints were first seen imported from India to the Mediterranean in 5th C B.C.

During the renaissance, Indian chintz was imported to Europe, where it became popular and was imitated. France became a leading centre of this type of cloth production during that time. Stencil work, a highly developed form of printing from Japan was another early discovery of applying pattern to fabric.

• Printing can also be defined as localized dyeing.

• Defined as the application of dye or pigment in a different pattern on the fabric and by subsequent after treatment of fixing the dye or pigment to get a particular design.

• Sometimes a printed fabric can be identified by looking at the back side of fabric where there is no design or color as face side.

• In cotton, dyes like vat, reactive are used

• In manmade, dyes like disperse and cationic are used

DIFFERENT STYLES OF

PRINTING

There are three basic approaches to printing

a color on a fabric

1. DIRECT PRINTING

2. DISCHARGE PRINTING

3. RESIST PRINTING

DIRECT PRINTING

• In this type of printing dye is applied onto

the fabric by carved block, stencil,

screen, engraved roller etc.

• The dye is imprinted on the fabric in

paste form and any desired pattern may

be produced

• Example:-Block Printing, Roller Printing,

Screen Printing etc.

DISCHARGE PRINTING

• Discharge Printing is also called Extract Printing. This is a

method of applying a design to dyed fabric by printing a

color-destroying agent, such as chlorine or hydrosulfite, to

bleach out a white or light pattern on the darker coloured

ground.

• In this method the fabric is dyed and then printed with a

chemical that will destroy the color in designed areas.

• Sometimes the base color is removed and another color

printed in its place.

• A dye impervious to the bleaching agent is combined with

it, producing a colored design instead of white on the dyed

ground.

RESIST PRINTING

• In this method bleached fabric are printed

with a resist paste ( a resinous substance

that cannot be penetrated when the fabric

is immersed in a dye ).

• The dye will only affect only the parts that

are not covered by the resist paste .

• After the fabric has passed through a

subsequent dyeing process the resist

paste is removed, leaving a pattern on a

dark background

DIFFERENT TYPES OF

PRINTING

• BLOCK PRINTING

• ROLLER PRINTING

• SCREEN PRINTING

• FLAT-SCREEN PRINTING

• ROTARY PRINTING

• TRANSFER PRINTING

• STENCIL PRINTING

• DIGITAL PRINTING

• BATIK PRINTING

• TIE & DYE

BLOCK PRINTING

• It is the oldest and simplest way of printing

• In this method a wooden block with a raised pattern on the surface was dipped into the printing colorant and then pressed face down on to fabric.

• The desired pattern was obtained by repeating the process using different colors.

• Generally the wooden block is carved out of hand

• Printing is done manually

BLOCK PRINTING

BLOCK PRINTING

BLOCK PRINTING

BLOCK PRINTING

ADVANTAGES

1. Simple method of

printing

2. No expensive

equipment required

3. No limitation in repeat

of size of style

4. Prints produced have

great decorative value

and stamp of

craftsmanship

DISADVANTAGES

1. Involves much

manual work

2. Method is slow and

therefore low output

3. Good skilled labors

needed for multi color

design

4. Fine and delicate

designs hard to

produce

ROLLER PRINTING

• It is the machine method of printing

designs on cloths by engraved rollers.

• The design is engraved on the surface of a

metal roller, to which dye is applied, and

the excess is scraped off the roller's

surface, leaving dye in the engraved

sections. When it rolls across the fabric,

the dye on the roller transfers to the fabric.

Important features and advantages

• Requires long production runs of same pattern (10000 yds)

• Best method for fine line patterns and paisley prints.

• Can produce half tones and fall on effects.

• Can print woven fabrics, knitted fabrics require special handling.

• Because of the high quality it can achieve, roller printing is the most appealing method for printing designer and fashion apparel fabrics.

Diagram of roller printing m/c

ROLLER PRINTING M/C

ROLLER PRINTING

ROLLER PRINTINGADVANTAGES

1. Large quantities of fabric at the rate of 914-3658m per hour can be printed.

2. Faulty joints or joint marks are absent.

3. Fine sharp outlines and good prints can be obtained which is difficult to get in block printing.

DISADVANTAGES

1. Not economical for short run of fabrics.

2. Difficult to produce blotch designs.

3. Repeat of design limited to the size of the rollers.

4. Setup cost of roller printing m/c is high

STENCIL PRINTING

• It is one of the oldest way of printing.

• In it color is applied to the fabric by

brushing or spraying the interstices of a

pattern cut out from a flat sheet of metal or

waterproof paper or plastic sheet or

laminated sheet.

• A stencil is prepared by cutting out a

design from a flat sheet of paper, metal, or

plastic.

A simple stencil design

Example of stencil printing

STENCIL PRINTING

• ADVANTAGES

1. Simple and cost

effective.

2. Stencils can be

made rapidly and

can be used for

small orders.

3. Color combination is

good in it.

• DISADVANTAGES

1. Good design is

difficult to obtain.

2. Process is laborious.

3. Not suitable for large

scale production.

SCREEN PRINTING

• It involves the application of the printing

paste through a fine screen placed in

contact with the fabric to be printed.

• A design is created in reverse on the

screen by blocking areas of the screen

with a material such as an opaque paint.

• The screen is then placed over the fabric

and the printing paste is forced through

the open areas of the screen using a

flexible synthetic rubber or steel blade

known as a squeegee.

PROCESS OF SCREEN PRITING

SCREEN PAPER SIDE SCREEN SQUEEZE SIDE

ORIGINAL PRINT PRINT ON FABRIC

SCREEN PRINTING

• ADVANTAGES

1. Simple and cost

effective.

2. Quick pattern

making

3. 16 colors can be

used in a design.

4. Sharp lines and

features easily

produced.

• DISADVANTAGES

1. For high production

large no. of tables

required.

2. Delicate shading

difficult to obtain.

3. Screen clogging

may be there in fine

areas.

FLAT-SCREEN PRINTING

• It is the advanced version of screen

printing by using automatic m/c to do work

• It consists of printing table, conveyor belt,

number of screens, mechanism to print on

the fabric, etc.

• First the fabric is brought on the printing

table through a feeding arrangement and it

is gummed to the conveyor belt on the

table

• Conveyor brings fabric periodically under

screen and stops while the screen are

lowered on the required parts of the fabric.

• Printing paste is distributed throughout the

full length of the screen.

• The squeeze is pressed to the screen .

• One or more strokes of the squeeze

ensure simultaneous printing of the pattern

by the common action of all screens which

applies printing paste as required by the

color in the design.

FLAT-SCREEN PRINTING M/C

FLAT SCREEN PRINTING

• ADVANTAGES

1. Greater production

than manual screen

printing

2. Printing with

different repeat can

be made easily

3. Good print is

obtained

• DISADVANTAGES

1. A big setup required

for more number of

screens

2. Prints with more

colors may not be

possible

3. Printing paste not

evenly controlled

Rotary Screen

• In rotary screen printing, tubular screens rotate at the same velocity as the fabric.

• Print paste distributed inside the tubular screen is forced into the fabric as it is pressed between the screen and a printing blanket (a continuous rubber belt).

• Most knit fabric is printed by the rotary screen method, because it does not stress (pull or stretch) the fabric during the process.

• Twenty or more colours can be printed at the same time.

• The process is much quicker and more efficient than flat

screen printing .

Rotary Screen

Important Features and Advantages• Over 40 inch repeat size possible; larger than roller printing, but

smaller than flat screen.

• Lengthwise stripe effect possible.

• Fall on designs possible. Adaptable to all woven & knitted constructions.

• Clear and brighter colors than on roller prints.

• Excellent color definitions, but less than flat screen methods.

• Rapid change over of design possible.

• Efficient for long runs and moderately small (1000yds) runs.

Limitations and Disadvantages

• Fine line paisley prints not possible.

• Screen do not last as long as rollers.

Working of rotary screen printing

m/c

A rotary screen printing m/c

Feeding of color to rollers

TRANSFER PRINTING

• It is a indirect method of printing in which

dyes are transferred from paper to a

thermoplastic fabric under controlled

conditions of temperature, time and pressure.

• The image is first engraved on a copper

plate.

• Then pigment is applied on these plates.

• The image is then transferred to a piece of

paper, with a layer of glue applied .

• This is then placed on the fabric and heat and

pressure applied which fixes the print onto

fabric.

Process of transfer printing

Important Features and Advantages

• Produces bright, sharp, clear fine line designs.

• Ability to print cut garment parts and small items.

• Adaptable to long and short yardages runs.

• Rapid pattern changeover possible.

• Simple, low investment installation possible.

• Steamers washers, dryers etc not required.

• Fewest seconds of all print process.

• Heat setting also accomplished.

TRANSFER PRINTING

• ADVANTAGES

1. Operation is simple

and no expensive

m/c is required.

2. No after treatment of

fabric required

3. Print on fabric is of

excellent quality

• DISADVANTAGES

1. Process applicable

to synthetic fabric

like polyester .

2. Color range is

limited.

3. Cost of printed

paper high.

4. Not economical for

small orders.

Heat transfer

Limitations and Disadvantages

• Limited to fabrics having minimum 50% manmade fibers. Cellulosic and protein (100%) fibers can not be printed.

RESIST PRINTING

• There are two types of resist printing

• BATIK PRINTING

• TIE & DIE PRINTING

BATIK PRINTING

• Originated on island of Java and is a cottage based industry.

• Batik is derived from word “AMBATIK”

• The resist-dyeing process, whereby designs are made with wax on a fabric which is subsequently immersed in a dye to absorb the color on the unwaxed portions, is known as batik printing.

• Special feature is the fine lines of color running irregularly across the fabric.

BATIK PRINTING

• ADVANTAGES

• Gives a good artistic

effect

• Cheap printing

• Greater artistic

design

• Fabric has a rich

and graceful

appearance

• DISADVANTAGES

• Laborious

• Time taking

• Cracking effect

• Dye should be

applied at low

temperature than

wax.

TIE & DYE

• It is same as that of batik printing but here

the dye is resisted by knots that are tied in

the cloth before it is immersed in dye bath.

• The outside of the knotted portion is dyed,

but inside is not penetrated if the knot is

firmly tied.

• This gives a characteristic blurred or

mottled effect .

TIE & DYE

• ADVANTAGE

• Interesting design

created on fabric

• No m/c cost is there

• DISADVANTAGE

• Costly

• Laborious

• Time taking

• Skilled labour

required

DIGITAL PRINTING

• It is the more advanced type of printing.

• This includes :-

Jet spray printing

Electrostatic printing

Photo printing

Differential printing

JET SPRAYING MACHINE• Designs are imparted to fabrics by spraying colors in a controlled

manner through nozzles.

ELECTROSTATIC PRINTING

M/C• Using a process where toner sticks to a charged drum and is

thermally fused on to a page - similar to photocopying - electrostatic

printing is good for very short printing runs.

• Electrostatic printing involves creating an image by electrostatically

charging areas of a special drum. As a result, the drum attracts a dry

or liquid toner & the toner is fused to the fabric.

• Electrostatic printing is a process of printing without contact, without

a type form, and without ink.

Mechanism

ELECTROSTATIC PRINTING M/C

PHOTO PRINTING M/C

Pigment Print

• Pigment Prints are direct prints made with pigments.

• The process is frequently called dry printing as distinguished from wet printing.

• The pigment area will be slightly stiffer and perhaps a bit thicker than the non print area.

• Pigment prints are the least costly type of print.

• Pigment produce bright, rich colors, and are applied to all textile fibers.

• It has good to excellent fastness to light and dry cleaning.

Identification of Pigment Prints

• Comparing the differences in fabric stiffness

between a design printed portion and a non-

printed portion of the same fabric.

• The pigment print area will be slightly stiffer and

a bit thicker than the non-print area.

• Deep shades are stiffer than light shades.

Blotch Prints

• Background has been obtained by printing rather than piece dyeing; Direct Print; The print and pattern design colour are printed on to a white fabric in one printing operation; imitates discharge or resist print effects.

• Identification:

• The blotch print background colour is lighter on backside of the fabric.

• Possibilities of large background colour areas of the print are not covered with full depth of colours; precision control is necessary; if pigment prints, fabrics very often result in objectionable stiff hand.

Flock Printing

• Tiny particles of fibers (1/10”- ¼”) are made to adhere to a fabric surface in according to a particular design; printing the design with adhesive; exposing the fiber flock to the fabric.

• There are two methods of adhering the flock to the adhesive treated fabric surface:

• Mechanical Flocking.

• Electrostatic Flocking

Warp Prints

• Warp prints involve printing the warp yarns of a fabric before it is placed on the loom for weaving, then the fabric is woven with a solid color weft usually white or contrast color.

• The result is a soft, shadowy design on the fabric; producing warp prints require careful and skilled labor; these prints are found almost exclusively on high quality and expensive fabrics.

Burn-out Prints

• Printing with chemical substance (sulfuric acid)

that will destroy the fiber in the pattern design

print area;

• Fabrics are used in low-cost summer blouses

and cotton lingerie;

• Interesting designs can be created with blends.

Duplex Prints

• Fabrics in which both sides of the fabric

have been printed;

• Imitate Jacquard & dobby woven design

fabric;

• Very expensive printing

Engineering Prints

• Prints that have two or more distinct designs,

• Each located in separate areas of the fabric, and each designed to become a specific part of the garment;

• Printed by hand screen or heat transfer method.

PRINTS

CLASSICAL

Also known as ethnic or traditional print. In

this print classical motifs or traditional

collections are used such as mango,

elephant with the chariots, old musical

instruments etc. the culture of any

particular place can also be considered

such as tie and dye , batik, block of

Rajasthan etc

FLORAL PRINT

It has the print of varieties of flower either

in bunch or single spotted , huge or small

, combination of leaves and other addings.

Color combination is very important.

STRIPES

• PIN STRIPES

• ZIGZAG STRIPES

• SPIRAL STRIPES

• ZEBRA STRIPES

• DIAGONAL STRIPES

• HORIZONTAL STRIPES

• VERTICAL STRIPES

• CURVED STRIPES

• TOOTHPASTE STRIPES

• LAMP POST STRIPES

PIN STRIPES

• THESE ARE STRIPES WHICH IS

PRINTED LINES AT HAIRY DISTANCE

AND MOSTLY TWO OR THREE

COLORS ARE USED INCLUDING THE

BACKGROUND.

ZIGZAG STRIPES

• IT CAN COME IN HORIZONTAL OR

VERTICAL BUT IN THE SHAPE OF

ZIGZAG.

SPIRAL STRIPES

• THE PRINT LOOKS LIKE A STRETCHED

SPRING AT MEDIUM PRESSURE, THIS

CAN EITHER BE VERTICAL OR

HORIZONTAL.

CURVED STRIPES

• THIS PRINT HAS THE EFFECT OF A

WAVE FOLLOWED EITHER

VERTICAL/HORIZONTAL.

TOOTHPASTE STRIPE

• THIS STRIPE CAN BE MULTICOLORED

AND THE DISTANCE CAN VARY BUT

THE WIDTH OF EACH STRIPE SHOULD

BE RANGING FROM 0.5-1.5CMS THE

WIDTH OF THE TOOTHPASTE.

ZEBRA STRIPES

• IN THIS STRIPES ONLY TWO COLORS

ARE USED AND MOSTLY NEUTRAL

COLORED SCHEME IS SEEN .

• THESE STRIPES ARE PLACED AT

EQUIDISTANCE.

• THE WIDTH OF EACH STRIPE WILL

NOT BE MORE THAN 1.0CM

LAMP POST STRIPE

• THE WIDTH STARTS FROM 3-5CM.

• IT CAN BE COMPOUND STRIPES.

• THE PRINT HAS RUNNING LINES OF

FIXED WIDTH.

CHECK PRINTS

• THESE ARE GOT BY INTERSECTING

HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL LINES

AT 90 DEG ANGLES.

• IT IS OF 4 – TYPES

• PLAIDS

• MADRAS CHECK

• BOMBAY CHECK

• OXFORD CHECK

PLAIDS

• PLAIDS ARE SIMPLE CHECK WHERE

ALL THE SQUARES ARE OF EQUAL

SIZE AND IT HAS THE COMBINATION

OF ANY TWO COLORS WHICH ARE

MOSTLY USED FOR SCHOOL

UNIFORMS.

• LOOKS LIKE THE CHECKS IN A CHESS

BOARD

MADRAS CHECK

• IT HAS GOT NO MORE THAN 2 OR 3

VERTICAL STRIPES WITH

EQUAL(SINGLE) HORIZONTAL

STRIPES.

• COLORS USED BLUE, RED, ORANGE,

ETC

• USED FOR LUNGIS, BURMUDAS AND

COATS

BOMBAY CHECKS

• THESE CHECKS ARE MOSTLY

AVAILABLE IN LIGHT COLORS.

• HERE NO PROPER NUMBER OF

STRIPES CAN BE COUNTED EITHER

HORIZONTALLY OR VERTICALLY BUT

STRIPES ARE VERY CLOSELY

PRINTED

• USED IN SHIRTS

OXFORD CHECK

• THIS IS FOUND IN DARK COLORS WITH WHITE COMBINATION.

• HERE THE STRIPES PRINTED HORIZONTALLY WILL BE EQUAL TO THE STRIPES PRINTED VERTICALLY AND AT EQUAL THICKNESS PLACED AT EQUIDISTANCE

• USED IN UNIFORMS, MAT, BED COVERS, DRAPERIES ETC

DOTS

• THESE ARE SPOTS EITHER DESIGNED

OR PLAIN IN DIFFERENT COLORS

• 3 – TYPES

• BIG DOTS(3-10CM)

• SMALL DOTS(PIN- 1.5CM)

• POLKA DOTS(MIXTURE OF ABOVE)

GEOMETRICAL PRINTS

• THIS IS THE PRINT WHERE ALL THE

GEOMETRICAL INSTRUMENT DESIGNS

ARE CREATED AND THE

MATHEMATICAL SIGNS ARE USED

SUCH AS PLUS, MINUS,

MULTIPLICATION DIVISION ETC.

DIRECTIONAL PRINTS

• ANY PRINT WHICH IS DESIGNED

DIRECTIONALLY EITHER HORIZONTAL,

VERTICAL OR DIAGONAL IS CALLED

THE DIRECTIONAL PRINTS.

• ITS FEATURE IS TO FOLLOW THE

DIRECTION OF THE FIRST ONE.

• USED IN EGYPTIAN DRESS

SELF PRINTS

• ANY DESIGN WHICH HAS TO BE

PRINTED SHOULD BE OF THE SAME

SHADES OF THE BACKGROUND

COLOR.

• RUBBER PRINT

COMPUTERISED PRINT

• THE DESIGN IS TAKEN FROM

COMPUTER GRAPHIC DESIGN AND

VIDEO GAMES .

• CAN BE USED FOR CHILDREN AND

TEENAGERS.

WILD PRINT

• THE EFFECT OF FOREST WITH OR

WITHOUT ANIMALS, NATURE ARE

USED IN THIS PRINT

• MOSTLY DULL COLORS ARE USED.

ANIMAL PRINT

• THE IMPORTANCE IS GIVEN TO THE

SKIN TEXTURE OF THE ANIMALS AND

THEIR PRINTS SUCH AS ZEBRA,

CHEETAH, TIGER, DEER, SNAKE ETC

ABSTRACT PRINT

• THIS PRINT IS MADE USING

IRREGULAR SHAPES WITH MATCHING

COLOR SCHEME.

NUMERICAL PRINT

• HERE THE NUMBER 0-9 ARE USED.

• SOME TIMES WITH OR WITHOUT

MATHEMATICAL SIGNS

ALPHABETICAL PRINTS

• THIS PRINT IS MADE USING

ALPHABETS, WORDINGS ETC

• EG: NEWSPAPER PRINT

CHILDREN PRINT

• THE PRINT CONSISTS OF DESIGNS

WHICH CAN EMPHASIZE THE

CHILDREN”S MOOD SUCH AS

CARTOONS, CHOCLATES, FRUITS, ICE

CREAM ETC

PHOTO PRINT

• THE PHOTOS OF THE FAMOUS STARS,

POP SINGERS, OLD CARS ETC ARE

PRINTED ON T-SHIRTS WHICH ARE

CALLED PHOTOPRINT

MARBLE PRINT

• THIS PRINT LOOKS LIKE A MARBLE

FINISH